A tail to tell.

The Youth Literary Derby is a juried, Standardbred horse-themed writing contest for Ontario students in Grades 3-8 as of June 1, 2025 and it carries $2,000 in prize money. The derby is designed to encourage writing and literacy skills. It has been constructed to reach out to horse-loving kids that possess a flair for writing poetry or short stories.

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  • Deadline is August 31, 2025

  • Prizes for each division (Junior/Intermediate) and for each category (poem/short story):

    1st: $250

    2nd: $150

    3rd $100

    Additionally, Equine Guelph is offering their Youth Horse Behavior and Safety online courses to winners that are 13 years of age or older.

  • Ontario students in grades 3-8 (Junior and Intermediate divisions) write a poem OR a short story with a Standardbred theme.

    1. Open to Ontario students in Grades 3-8 as of June 1, 2025

    • Junior Division – Grades 3-5

    • Intermediate Division – Grades 6-8

    *Immediate family (children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews) of organizers of the contest, prize sponsors and judges are not eligible to enter.

    2. Only one entry is allowed per student – either a poem OR a short story about anything Standardbred related. Poems or stories submitted for this contest in previous years will be disqualified.

    3. Poem must not be less than 16 lines and not more than 32 lines.

    4. Short story must not be more than 750 words.

    5. Entries must be typed in a legible font (e.g. Arial, Times New Roman) and submitted as a Word (.doc,.docx) or PDF file.

    6. All entries must have a TITLE on the top of the first page.

    7. All work must be original and will be checked for plagiarism.

    8. All entries must be accompanied by an entry form.

    9. Entries will be accepted any time up to midnight of August 31, 2025.

    10. Entries will be judged anonymously and judges’ decisions will be final. Student’s name should not appear on poem or story.

    11. Finalists will be notified no later than September 19, 2025.

    12. Names and pictures of winners may be used for publicity purposes.

    13. Entries become the property of the contest organizers and they reserve the right to publish all entries and photos on their website, Social Media accounts, online and in publications.

  • Q. What is a Standardbred?

    A. A Standardbred is a type of racehorse that pulls a driver on a cart called a sulky. Some people call them Harness Horses. Standardbred horses are bred to race at either the trotting or pacing gait.

    Q. Where can I find more information on Standardbreds?

    A. In addition to the videos on our website under Resources, you can Google Standardbreds. You’ll also find lots of videos, photos and info on the Standardbred Canada website (www.StandardbredCanada.ca).

    Q. Can I enter a poem AND a short story?

    A. No. A student can only submit one entry in the Youth Literary Derby – either a poem or a short story.

    Q. Can I enter both the Youth Literary Derby and the Youth Art Derby?

    A. Yes.

    Q. I do not have a computer. Can I send my entry in by mail?

    A. No. To avoid entries being received late or lost in the mail, all entries must be submitted on-line. If you don’t have a computer, perhaps you can use one at your school or local library.

    Please contact us at info@bgracingalliance.ca if you have any problems.